Waffle Parfait #SundaySupper

Today is all about food that kids love!  When I was an elementary principal I would have breakfast duty from time to time and it always seemed to fall on waffle day.  Those kids sure do love their waffle sticks!  That was the inspiration for this post, so this is dedicated to the students I helped open their syrup over the years. This recipe was also born of the "what's in the refrigerator" syndrome.  When I thought about how I wanted to use waffles, I opened the fridge to see what I had available.  I found yogurt and strawberries and I knew I had the makings of something good. What I really love about this is that kids can make this themselves!  Once the waffle is toasted and cut, let the kids make the layers.  They will love it! Waffle Parfait by Our Good Life Prep Time: 10 minutes 6079084 Ingredients (2 servings) 2 waffles 2 c yogurt (any flavor will do) 10 strawberries, sliced (any fruit will do) Instructions Toast waffles

Ten Things To Do Before School Starts

It's back to school time and even though I don't have my own school to go back to, I always get excited for this time of year.  I love shopping for school supplies and my thoughts go back to buying my fall clothing.  I love the winding down of summer and all the goodies fall has to offer.  I don't like to rush the season but still... Here are ten things I believe will help you, as parents, make an easier transition to school.   1.   Together with your student, write a list of all the fun activities you did this summer.  Students are often asked to write about their summer or to write about some activity. This will provide that "I don't know what to write about" topic for your student. 2.   Get supplies that are on the school supplies list.  If you can, buy extras for your second half of school.  Your child will find it easier to return to school in December with a fresh box of crayons and new pencils! 3.   With your child, create five outfi

Naming Our House, Part Two

We want to thank everyone who was so kind to offer up a name on our house!  We heard from friends, family and readers all over the world and we are so grateful for your time.  We love these names and are now choosing between them or some form of: The Resort The Principals Office La Vie Sand Castle Lakeview House Sunset Nest La Vida Dulce Sunset View Good Life Beach House Resort Sunset Cottage The Doctors Inn We will be selecting the name over the weekend and ordering our lettering.  Our reveal will come when the lettering is in place. Do you have a favorite?  Or some combination of the above?  We'd love to hear it!

Christmas in July

I am a huge Christmas nut (take a gander at my Christmas tab above!) and yes, I love celebrating Christmas in any way I can!  Christmas in July is not a hard stretch of the imagination for me!  To get you interested in CIJ,  here are some wonderful crafty projects you might want to try now for your celebrations in December! DIY Ornaments – by Saved by Love Creations Cocktail Umbrella Wreath – by Design Improvised Rick Rack Christmas Trees – by Lil Luna Santa Chimney Place Setting – by Crafts by Amanda Wine Bottle Labels – by Lia Griffith Snow Globe – by the Soap Queen Clay pot Snowman – by Craft Ideas Candy Cane Shot Glasses – by Your Modern Family Iced Coffee – by A Beautiful Mess Snack Cake Penguins – by Hungry Happenings White Christmas Treat Jar – by Lolly Jane Peppermint Rock Candy – by Simply Designing Glass Block Holiday Jello – by Our Best Bites Strawberry Santas – by TISL Style Whipped Ricota Spread – by My Suburban Kitchen P

Impossible Spinach Quiche for #FoodnFlix

The film for July for #FoodnFlix was Popeye, the 2003 version with Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall.  Food n Flix is a group of bloggers who watches a film, uses the film to get inspiration to cook, and posts the inspiration on the blog.  My inspiration was Impossible Spinach Quiche.  More about that later! Here's what Amazon had to say about it: Based on the long-running comic strip created by E.C. Segar (and less on the animated cartoons created by Max Fleischer, which were decidedly different in tone and approach), Popeye follows the sailor man with the mighty arms (played by Robin Williams in his first major film role) as he arrives in the seaside community of Sweethaven in search of his long-lost father. Popeye meets and quickly falls for the slender Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall, in the role she was born to play), but Olive's hand has already been promised to the hulking Bluto (Paul Smith), of whom Olive can say little except, well, he's large. Eventually, Po

Peach Navy Fizz

Peaches, the summer fruit that we live for in Missouri, especially if the peaches are from Calhoun County (IL). Good stuff! This peach cocktail is lovely. Refreshing and a bit sweet.  Perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail or a sitting on the porch cocktail. Enjoy it wherever you want!  This drink has a nice woodsy taste from the rosemary, sweetness from the peaches and the right amount of kick from the gin.  I'm not a gin drinker and I liked this drink! Bonus:  I use Sonic ice for my cocktails and I won't use any other!  Something about Sonic ice... I'm joining a group of bloggers who like to improv each month using a special ingredient.  This month, of course, is peaches.  If you wish to join up, click here and make a request! To make this cocktail you need: 1 ripe peach, pitted and skinned 3/4 oz simple syrup 1 rosemary sprig 1 1/2 oz of dry gin 3/4 oz Campari The juice of one lemon Club soda (alas, no cream!) In a cocktail shaker, muddle pea

Vanilla Rose Bundt with Edible Flowers #BundtBakers

The July theme for Bundt Bakers is Secret Garden.  Thank you to our host, Sue Lau, from Palatable Pastimes for getting all of us organized!  In the list of cakes below, you will see a lot of cakes using ingredients from the garden including flowers, herbs and vegetables.  When I was a kid, I read and reread the book, The Secret Garden many times.  The author describes that first look of the garden as filled with overgrown roses. That vision in my head is quite beautiful! This was the inspiration for my Vanilla Rose Bundt this month. Vanilla Rose Bundt by Our Good Life Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes 6078972 Ingredients (8 servings) 1½ c. sifted cake flour 1½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ½ c. unsalted butter 1 c. sugar 2 large eggs ½ tsp. vanilla extract 1 T rosewater ½ c. whole milk Instructions Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a bundt pan with butter and dust with all-purpose flour. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mi

Help Us Name Our House!

For those who don't know me personally, my husband and I live in a community developed on the principles of New Urbanism called New Town of Saint Charles.  New Town is further divided into "districts" each having its own identity in our community.  Our district, called The Beach District, is one of the more complicated districts due to the freefall that was our economy back in 2008.  Our district is supposed to have a beach like theme and actually to have a beach within the district! Those promises weren't kept for a number of years, but now with the growing economy, it looks like new plans have been made to create the beach, build more houses and add green space to our district. Our neighbors are thrilled! Prior to all this good news, the residents of the Beach District were looking for ways to help our district be a bit unique.  One of the ideas we had was to name our houses, like the cute names given to beach cottages along the ocean.  That idea was dr

Peach, Tomato and Mint Salad #SundaySupper

The folks at Sunday Supper have given us a whole lotta peach recipes just in time for the season!  You will really enjoy this fresh, summer sweet salad.  There are lots of options for changing this around, for example, my favorite is substituting honeyed goat cheese for the feta. Make this dish your own! Delicious as a side dish, this can also be served on top of grilled fish for a delicious salsa.  The acid of the tomatoes along with the sweet of the peaches make it perfect for any fish.   Peach, Tomato and Mint Salad by Our Good Life Prep Time: 15 minutes 6078791 Ingredients (4 servings) 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/2 pound ripe peaches, pitted, cut into wedges 1/4 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut into thick wedges 1/4 pound heirloom cherry tomatoes halved 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon honey 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta chees

Strawberry Avocado Salsa #UltimateRecipeChallenge

Strawberries have always been my favorite fruit.  I like to have them around all the time, even when strawberries aren't at their finest.  This salsa is so good, my two favorite flavors combined into one ultimate dish!  It's versatile and quick to make, two of my favorite descriptors when it comes to food! The Ultimate Recipe Challenge was started by a fellow blogger, Kim Six , who is a renaissance woman if I ever saw one!  She's a dynamite chef, toolman and blogger, and really, can just do it all! Give this salsa a try, it is excellent on grilled meats, as a side, and for me, even as a dessert. Strawberry Avocado Salsa by Our Good Life Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes 6078869 Ingredients (2 cups) 20 strawberries, cubed 1 avocado, cubed 1/2 c of cubed red onion the juice of 1/2 lime the zest from 1/2 lime 1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped 1/4 t sugar Instructions Toss all ingredients together gently. Serve immediately!

Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Sausage with Panko Topping #SRC

The July Secret Recipe Club reveal day is today!  I had a lot of fun reading the blog called Little Bit of Everything .  Cute name, huh?  In case you are not familiar with the club, we are a group of bloggers who like to cook.  Each month we are assigned (secretly) to scour the blog of one of the members, cook a recipe from the site, and write about our experience on our own blog.  On a specific day, we reveal the recipe and the blog we were assigned.  Always a lot of fun! I am eager to share with you about Julie who lives in Nebraska.  All my friends are covering their mouths and snickering, but I can assure you that since the Tigers are no longer in the Big 12, I am going to be perfectly sweet and kind to Julie. Her blog is full of wonderful recipes!  I'll also be making some Chive Blossom Vinegar  and possibly some Cranberry Jalapeno Jam (won't that be fantastic on a turkey sandwich?).  Oh, and this Grilled Romaine is a must this summer! This is the recipe I de

Tomato Cobbler #TasteCreations

The Taste Creations blog hop is happy to share TOMATOES with you today!  Juicy garden tomatoes are starting to hit the Farmer's Market by the gallons so here is a chance to try some great food with seasonable vegetables. For today's recipe, I thought I was going to be making a tomato tart for you, something I make every summer, but I didn't have any pie crust made up.  I did have a package of biscuit dough that I wanted to use up, thus this recipe was made! Tomato Cobbler by Our Good Life Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes 6078868 Ingredients (6 servings) 4 large heirloom or good quality tomatoes 1 T olive oil 1 T butter 1 onion, cut in half and into slices 1 T brown sugar 1 T balsamic vinegar 3/4 t salt 8-10 basil leaves 1 pkg Marie Callender Cheddar Biscuit Mix (7 oz) Instructions Make biscuit mix according to package directions, set aside. Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil and butter. Add onion, brown sugar an

Bridal Shower for Rachel

My youngest nephew is getting married! Benjamin Levi is getting married in August!  You might remember he graduated from college in December and now is getting married to his sweetheart in August.  Rachel is his perfect match in all ways and we are happy to have her join the family! The shower was hosted by the maid of honor and bridesmaids at the church where Rachel and Ben will be married.  Here is the invite: Pots and pans, bowls and dishes, let's shower Rachel with her kitchen wishes! Please join us in honoring Rachel on Sunday, July 3rd at 1:00pm. First Presbyterian Church 123 W St. John St. Brookfield MO   One small request that won't be too hard PLEASE BRING A RECIPE instead of a card.   Whether it is a fancy cake or a yummy fondue. You can sign the card with a note from you. Our new bride will become quite the cook with all the new recipes to put inside her cookbook. The church is beautiful and the stained glass windows are gorgeous

Red, White and Blue Popsicles #SundaySupper

This week at #SundaySupper we focus on EASY to make, Red, White and Blue dishes that you can make at the last minute.  You can make these popsicles ahead of time and have them ready to go when you need a cold treat.  These are super easy to make! My mold is in the shape of a small champagne bottle, so I thought using a little bubbly (in the form of Sprite!) was appropriate!  You could use coconut water, lemonade, or other white or clear liquids.  I like how the bubbles make tiny spaces in the popsicle! If you like this mold, it is called Betchsicles.  I got it with my subscription box this month. Red, White and Blue Popsicles by Our Good Life Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: freezer time 60 minutes 6078790 Ingredients (serves 6) 1 can Sprite 6 strawberries 1/4 c blueberries Instructions Wash strawberries and slice them up. Wash blueberries and wipe dry. Place blueberries in the bottom (it will be the top of the popsicle) and arrange stra